Shanta Thake

Shanta Thake (born December 26, 1979) is the Director^[1] of Joe’s Pub at The Public, The Public Theater’s intimate cabaret space named after Theater founder Joseph Papp.^[2] Since becoming director in 2007, Ms. Thake has successfully increased the venue’s eclectic programming, which has been praised for its consistently varied, top quality booking.^[3] Joe’s Pub currently hosts over 800 shows and welcomes more than 100,000 unique patrons annually and is hailed as one of New York City’s most prestigious showcase venues for both emerging and established artists. Under Ms. Thake’s direction, Joe’s Pub has produced events at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park and in collaboration with Make Music New York, Under The Radar and DanceNOW, among other organizations. Oskar Eustis, the Public Theater’s artistic director, said: “It’s her taste that dictates what ends up at Joe’s Pub, and that taste is eclectic, sophisticated, populist and very much in tune with the values here. It’s about diversity, both aesthetic and sociological.”^[4]

In 2011, Ms. Thake established New York Voices, a one-of-a-kind commission program that provides musicians with the tools they need to develop original theater works. Recipients include Ethan Lipton, whose 2011 New York Voices debut No Place To Go^[5] went on to win an Obie Award, (Off-Broadway Theater Award). Other commissioned artists include Toshi Reagon, Bridget Everett, Allen Toussaint and more.

Ms. Thake also serves as one of three producers of globalFEST, North America’s most important world music festival and non-profit organization now in its tenth year whose mission is to foster cultural exchange and to increase the presence of world music in diverse communities worldwide.^[6] The organization has curated stages at Webster Hall,^[7] Bonnaroo, SXSW and Festival d’Ile de France and administers a touring fund to world music artists touring new markets in North America.

Ms. Thake acted as board chair for the acclaimed theater company Waterwell, was the co-creator of Weimar New York and is an active member of the Middle Collegiate Church Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir. Ms. Thake has been the recipient of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Emerging Leader award as well as Theater Communications Group’s Leaders of Color grant.^[8] She received a BA in Theater as well as a degree in Management from Indiana University and currently lives in Brooklyn.

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